Home
by GothicPenguin367
Summary: The survivors have finally been rescued, but everyone has mixed emotions about leaving. JK CC SS JS. R&R please!
1. Going 'Home'

**1: GOING 'HOME'**

As Jack stared out of the aeroplane window, he still couldn't believe that he was finally going home. Back to civilisation. No more playing leader, hunting, tracking or tending the same faces every day that he had become so accustomed to.

"_What is home?"_ he asked himself. What did he have to go back to? He thought about his time at 'home' and his time on the island, and came to a discovery that was possibly too late. He was happier on the island. Maybe it was because he was finally away from his father, maybe it was because he felt needed, and people had depended on him. People had depended on him before; he was a doctor. But somehow on the island it was different. He was seen as a friend, as well as a doctor. People trusted him in more ways than just because he was a doctor. He sighed, and turned to the brunette sitting beside him, who couldn't look more nervous if she tried. He gave her a strained smile, and the one she gave back was very small and timid.

"Nervous, Kate?" he asked her jokingly. She turned to him and didn't even attempt to fake happiness. Her eyes looked so terrified as if she was about to burst into tears any moment.

"Jack, you're the only one who knows about me." Her grip tightened around the armrest of the chair. She started to shift uncomfortably in her seat, and turned to the blonde man on the other side of her.

"Sawyer's asleep." Jack whispered reassuringly. Kate turned back to Jack, her face looking paler than Jack had ever seen it before. Even paler than the dreaded day when the plane had crashed. When she spoke, her voice was shaking as she tried to withhold her sobs.

"When we get back…they're going to arrest me, Jack. I know it." At this, she gave in and began sobbing uncontrollably. Jack put his hand on her shoulder in an effort to comfort her, but, as always, he was not the best in these situations.

The noise of Kate's crying must have awoken Sawyer, as Jack noticed him staring at Kate groggily.

"Hey Freckles, what's with the waterworks?" Kate jumped slightly at the sound of his voice and her sobs ceased. She stared at him for a moment, then mumbled,

"It doesn't matter." Sawyer made a humoured expression.

"You gotta speak up darling. I'm not the BFG!"

"It's nothing. I'm fine." Sawyer was obviously not satisfied with this answer, thus saying,

"Well, sweetheart, I know I ain't one for people skills but there's obviously something yanking your chain!"

"Leave it, Sawyer." Jack looked at the other man intently.

"Well, doc, aren't you-"

"Just, leave it, Sawyer." Jack repeated. Jack looked at Kate, and she was shaking more vigorously than jelly in an earthquake. Jack gently squeezed her hand to let her know that he was there for her. Sawyer snuggled back down into his chair, giving Jack and Kate and indignant look as he did so. Kate seemed unwilling to communicate, and stared at the back of the chair in front of her, as if in a daze. Jack sighed once again, and shifted his attention back to gazing out the window.

To the far left of Jack, Kate and Sawyer, Shannon Rutherford was seemingly talking to herself with a confused voice.

"Mrs. Carlyle, Boone was…No, that won't work…Sabrina, I am most sorry to say…No; definitely not…Boone is…"

"Having trouble?" Shannon swerved her head round to see Sayid, the man she had come to know so well since the crash. His cheeky grin almost made her forget what she had been contemplating so hard, but not quite. He took a seat beside her and looked at her kindly.

"Why is this so hard?" Shannon whined.

"Maybe because there is no good way to tell someone their son is dead." Sayid offered, unhelpfully. Shannon looked at him in dismay.

"I can't find the right words. Every time I think of a possible way of telling her, I see Boone's face, and…and…"

"I know." Sayid rested his hand on hers, like Jack had done for Kate.

Shannon stared out the window. She always had to have a window seat, ever since she was old enough to fly. Boone had known that, and always let her sit by the window without ever complaining. She had always known that she would have to tell Boone's mother, her step-mother, but whenever she thought about it, she saw Boone's lifeless body in front of her, and all other thoughts were dashed out of her mind.

Sayid watched Shannon, and began to think himself.

"_Is Nadia alive? Will I see her again?"_ Sayid began to get lost in thought about seeing the woman who he had loved so dearly again. He had thought about her countless times, yet after the day he had enlisted Shannon's help with the French woman's documents, his attention had turned elsewhere. He had believed that he was betraying Nadia's memory by even having these thoughts about another woman, but eventually Shannon helped him get closure. Sayid began to think about Danielle, the French woman.

"_Why did she refuse to come with us? She could finally have been free!"_ Danielle had decided to stay on the island, even though she had been trying to escape from it for sixteen years.

"_Maybe actually going back would cause her more trouble than good. Shannon was right, she seemed past sanity."_

Sayid pondered these thoughts as the blonde beside him was frowning in concentration, obviously still thinking about what to say to Boone's mother. A silence stuck between the two, but as they were so lost in their own thoughts, they didn't notice the lack of conversation. However, even if they had noticed, they probably wouldn't have broken it, as silence is one of the great beauties of the world.

A few rows ahead of the pair, a frantic Claire was trying to calm down her wailing infant. A few shouts and complaints were heard from nearby passengers. Charlie, who had become quite close with Claire over the duration of being on the island, kneeled on top of his chair and shouted,

"Shut your bloody traps!"

"Please sit down sir!" the air hostess squawked, panicking. Charlie reluctantly slumped back down into his seat, grumbling to himself. Claire watched her friend's behaviour, and couldn't help but giggle slightly. However, as always, little Aaron made his presence known by emitting the most unholy shriek ever to grace Claire's ears.

"Dude, no offence, but please shut that thing up!" Hurley exclaimed, turning up the volume on his walkman. Claire glanced reproachfully at him, and turned back to cooing at Aaron. She suddenly had an idea, and began singing softly.

"_Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket never let it fade away."_ This song had always calmed her down when she was a baby.

"_Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket, you'll never see a rainy day."_

As Claire sang, Charlie stared at her, and began to think of his band, Driveshaft.

"_I wonder how they're doing without me."_ He gazed out of the window, as many others had done before him, and remembered his and Liam's (his brother) last conversation. He thought about his niece, Megan, probably for the first time in his life.

"_What is she interested in? Does she know who I am? What does she look like?"_ Charlie sat and pondered these thoughts. Since he had met Claire, and Aaron had been born, Charlie had become a lot more responsible and caring than he had been before. He felt a lot happier, calmer, and at peace now. He no longer had cravings for heroin either. He was suddenly brought back to earth when Claire whispered his name and gently touched his arm, as if trying to wake him up. Her touch, her voice, everything about her gave Charlie such a wonderful sensation that was better than any drug. They smiled, and when she spoke, Charlie noticed that there was a blessed quiet stillness, as Aaron was fast asleep.

"Hey." Charlie mumbled. "You nervous at all?"

"No, just thinking about how I'm gonna give that psychic of mine hell when I get back!" Charlie chuckled slightly.

At that moment, the air hostess appeared at their row.

"Anything to order?" Charlie turned to Claire and grinned mischievously.

"Your finest jar of peanut butter, Miss." The air hostess gave him a very puzzled look, and turned to Claire.

"And you?"

"Just a pot of baby food, please." The hostess nodded. Claire tapped Hurley on the shoulder. He turned to her questioningly, and Claire pointed to the hostess. Hurley licked his lips, and mumbled with delight.

"Real food. Right!" He raised his voice and began talking very fast. "Double bacon sandwich, French fries, extra tall coke, cheeseburger…" Charlie and Claire smiled at each other and began a conversation about everything they're going to get to see again. After a while, they contented themselves with silence, fascinated by the picture they had painted for themselves.

John Locke was searching his memory for something to return for. However long he thought for, however hard, he couldn't find any reason. Eventually, he gave up, and thought back on his time on the island. As Shannon passed him, supposedly going to the bathroom, he remembered someone who should have been here. Someone who had tried so hard and waited so patiently for this day to come.

"_And it's my fault he's not here."_ John once again found himself staring at his shoes. This island had saved him, but killed the one most loyal to him, the only other one who knew the secret of the island that he did. Now neither of them would ever know what was in that hatch. This thought saddened him, but not as much as the thought of Boone. He saw Boone die. He did nothing. It is his entire fault Boone died. Jack did so much to try and save him, while John did nothing. Now Boone would never see this day, and Shannon had to face their family after this whole ordeal. John actually felt sorry for her, for the first time.

"_That hatch…"_ The curiosity was too much for him. He had to get away, back to the hatch. He had to do anything he could. He rose out of his seat towards the cockpit, when he heard a small voice behind him.

"Mr. Locke." It murmured. It was little Walt. He had always looked up to John, wanted to learn. He had such potential, would be such a great hunter with the right training. Walt's face was so hopeful, so full of awe; John smiled at the young boy.

"What can I do for you, son?"

"I was wondering if you would like to sit with us. You seemed kind of lonely." John looked to Walt's father, Michael, who had never approved of Walt spending time with him. He believed John was dangerous and a bad influence, yet Michael nodded and went back to reading his newspaper.

"Catching up on current events?" John enquired. Michael glanced up and mumbled,

"Yeah." He was obviously trying to keep their conversation to a minimum. Michael still didn't approve of John.

"_Never mind."_ John thought. Walt smiled at him and his father. _"I'm going to miss him. He's a great lad."_

Walt began babbling about how he was going to join defence and army courses, and how he wanted to be like John.

"I can do this, can't I dad?" Walt looked at Michael hopefully. Michael smiled unconvincingly.

"Of course you can." Walt seemed triumphant.

"_Just humour him until we get back to the airport. Then we never have to see Locke again."_ Michael thought. John Locke was definitely not who Michael wanted as a friend for his son. He wondered about the future for him and Walt in Los Angeles, (and Walt's golden Labrador, Vincent, of course) and grinned, as he was delighted with the mental image. It would be perfect. Life was on the up, and would be for a long time to come.

Near the back, a Korean couple awaited arrival at the airport in silence. Sun looked at her husband, and remembered the last time she was at this airport. She had prepared for so long, even learnt English ready for when she escaped. She had been so afraid of Jin; she was desperate to run away. However, after the simple gesture of giving her a flower, she couldn't do it. She loved him. This was all she knew.

Jin turned to his wife. He knew she had wanted to leave, and was delighted that she had decided to stay with him. The island had been a blessing; they were now closer than ever before, their marriage had been saved. When he found out his wife could speak English, it had come as a huge shock to him. Nevertheless, he has come to terms with it, and the couple have developed their love and trust for each other. Now they had no secrets. He hoped.

Sun was very proud of her husband. Before the rescue plane had arrived, Jin had told her everything that had really happened with her father, and why he often came home covered in blood. Sun smiled to herself. Now they had no secrets. She hoped.

She turned to her husband, and saw he was fidgeting with a napkin from a sandwich they had shared twenty minutes earlier. She looked at him questioningly, yet he only returned the look with a simple grin. No malice, no sadness, only happiness could be seen in his eyes. His heart was finally at peace. Sun believed their life together was going to be exactly what she had dreamt of after all. Jin turned to her and held his hands behind his back.

"Choose one." He said playfully in Korean. She laughed and pointed to his left hand. It was empty, but he swooped up her right hand and kissed it tenderly. She laughed again, and then he revealed what remained in his other hand. An origami dove, just like the ones he used to make her when they were dating. She let a single tear slip from her eye.

"I love you." He whispered.

"I love you too." She kissed him on the cheek, rested her head on his shoulder, and closed her eyes to fall into a blissful sleep.

Rose was sleeping against the window pane. She had a smile upon her lips. As God had promised, she had been told that her husband Bernard was alive and well, and waiting eagerly for her at the airport. Lance was resting next to her. It had taken a lot of effort to get him onto the plane after what had happened last time.

They awoke as pilot spoke through the microphone, telling them that they had arrived. Cheers and gulps followed.


	2. Back To Civilisation

**2: BACK TO CIVILISATION**

Jack heaved his and Kate's (and Sawyer's, to his disapproval) luggage from the above rack. When he turned to her, her was face was no longer pale, but tear-stained. Jack squeezed her hand, and she gave him a small, meagre smile. She slung her bag onto her back and tried to push all of her emotions to the bottom of her stomach.

"Well, Freckles, Doc, this is goodbye. Don't cry for me."

"No chance of that, Sawyer." Jack answered playfully. Sawyer smiled and shook Jack's and Kate's hands in turn.

"BLOODY HELL!" Jack, Kate and Sawyer spun round to see Charlie's nose pressed up against a window staring in horror at the sight before him. Everyone who could fit ran to the nearest window on the left side of the plane. They all immediately saw what caused Charlie's loud exclamation.

Hundreds, even thousands, of reporters were awaiting their arrival eagerly. Cameras were flashing and pens were scribbling so fast you could almost see the smoke coming off the paper. Many others could be seen inside the terminal, obviously not wanting to catch the cold.

"Once we get out there, it's going to be crazy!" Jack said, with a hint of excitement in his voice, Kate noted. She nodded, and almost laughed at his and Sawyer's excitement. However hard she tried, she couldn't join in, or feel the same as the two jumpy men in front of her.

What Kate didn't know was that Jack wasn't looking forward to being back. He didn't want to be. Coming back to civilisation, however, had been an opportunity too big to pass up, and he would have been alone (well, the monster and French woman had remained). Nevertheless, because Kate was clearly very upset, and terrified by the situation, Jack felt that it was his duty to lighten the atmosphere, thus hopefully lifting her mood. Maybe if he acted like he looking forward to all the things he was listing with Sawyer, then Kate would realise that going 'home' wouldn't be so bad after all. Of course, Kate wouldn't be able to take advantage of all these things until she got out of prison, so Jack had to be very careful not to cause her to become more depressed. He, Kate and Sawyer, now heavily laden with luggage, approached the exit of the plane.

Shannon had such mixed emotions, being back was incredibly exciting and wonderful, however, seeing her step-mother again was enough to make her fly the plane back to the island herself. While Sayid kept reassuring her that what she was feeling was normal, she still felt as if she had suddenly become very complex and confusing since the island, and didn't like it. However, Sayid reminded her that she had matured a lot since the crash, and that she would be fine. She couldn't believe it though. It wasn't that she couldn't trust Sayid, she did, with all her heart, it was simply that she couldn't see how she would be 'fine'. It was now that she finally expressed in words something else that had been scaring her since the rescue.

"Sayid…will I ever see you again?" Shannon's voice had been so timid and worried that he turned to her and gave her a sympathetic, and, he hoped, loving smile.

"Yes, Shannon. That is certain. As it says on the back of Nadia's photograph, 'I will see you in the next life if not in this one'." Shannon nodded half-heartedly, and replied,

"That's not comforting. I want, I need, to see you in this life. I have no one to go back for, no one I care about anyway, not now Boone's…gone. My dad is dead, and I'm not exactly on what you could call speaking terms with my step-mother." Shannon swallowed. Sayid stroked her hair, and whispered,

"We will see each other again, soon. I promise." At this, Shannon smiled weakly and began pulling her bags dangerously out of the luggage rack.

"Careful there, Sticks. Or we'll have another death on the plane!" Sawyer laughed. Shannon and Sayid glared at him.

"Know when it is best to speak, and when it is best to not, Sawyer." Sayid spoke warningly. Sawyer grinned and went back to looking out the window with Kate and Jack. Sayid noticed that Sawyer did have a point and attempted to calm Shannon down and help her with her bags.

Charlie licked his lips and stuffed the half-empty (or half-full, as Claire kept reminding him) peanut butter jar into his worn out bag.

"Gorgeous." Claire laughed, and handed Aaron to Hurley.

"Whoa, dude, what are ya doing?" Claire smiled and began trying to heave down her luggage.

"Hey, hey!" Charlie ran to Claire's side and grabbed the bag off her. "Let me do that." Claire had learnt that it's best not to argue with Charlie in situations like this; you will not win. She contented herself with watching him as he almost fell over with the weight of one of her bags.

"What are you carrying in here?" Charlie asked, exasperated. Claire giggled.

"That's all of it. Thanks, Charlie."

"You're welcome." They smiled at each other.

"Dude, if you're not unloading, can you take him back?" Hurley was holding Aaron at arms length, not really sure what to do with him. Claire took Aaron in her arms, and wondered what life would be like from now on. No monsters, no island, no Ethan…back to normal. The way life used to be. Without the island. Without Charlie. She gazed at her bags and out the window. She couldn't believe that she was back, with a baby, no less. She needed to get him to a doctor as soon as possible. Aaron could have caught anything out there. She needed to record his birth, get a job… there was so much to do! She took a deep breath, and proceeded to follow Charlie and Hurley to the front of the plane.

Buildings. Machines. Money. Real food. People…so many people. These were just a few of the things on John Locke's mind as he gazed out of the miniscule plane window. The island…that is where he was to fulfil his destiny, he was sure of it. Then why did he not remain on the island, like Danielle did? He seemed to have got wrapped up in the excitement of seeing a rescue plane that he forgot that he had no good reason for him to leave. He had everything he needed to survive on the island. It had so many secrets that he needed to uncover, like the hatch, the monster, the polar bears… He sighed and followed suit by heading towards the entrance to the plane.

Walt and Michael were possibly two of the most eager survivors on the plane, yet they were keeping their emotions contained. Walt petted his dog, Vincent, gently, and anticipated the return to civilisation. Michael remembered how hard it had been to convince the pilots and stewardesses to let Vincent ride with them. He had assured them that all the survivors were accustomed to Vincent and were perfectly fine with it.

"Dad!" Walt squealed. "We're going back!"

"Yes, son. We are." Michael beamed and hoisted Vincent and Walt (along with their luggage) to the front of the plane.

Sun and Jin didn't say a word to each other as they prepared to leave the plane. They each knew what the other was thinking, and feeling, so speaking was not necessary. They were both excited, of course, but in an orderly fashion, unlike some of the passengers before them.

Jin had concerns about returning to the 'other world'. Money would be a problem. Sun would most certainly not wish him to return to his former job of working for her father, and neither would he, as they were now closer than they ever had been since their wedding. They contented themselves, as always, with silence, and a friendly smile, sometimes the gentle brush of fingers on each other's hands. Everything would be alright, as long as they were together. They had gone through mortal peril, and come out of it. Together. Their marriage could face anything that life threw at them. They would be waiting, and standing strong.

As they waited to leave the plane, Kate was still afraid. Jack leant over to her, and whispered,

"Remember; only let the fear in for five seconds." Kate grinned, and they began counting in unison.

"1…2…3…4…5." Kate took a deep breath, and some of the colour returned to her cheeks.

"Better?" Jack enquired.

"Of course." This reply had sounded a lot more like Kate than the voice Jack had heard for the past few hours.


	3. Taking The Plunge

**3: TAKING THE PLUNGE**

Jack squinted as the light from the outdoors threatened to blind him. He shielded his eyes with his free hand, while the other kept a firm grip on Kate's. Everyone on the plane gasped when the door finally opened. As Sawyer waited at the entrance, he received the full blast of the sunlight, and camera flashes. There was so much noise from the plane and the reporters, Sawyer couldn't hear himself think. His mind numbed at the shock of being on the mainland and seeing civilisation. His body tensed. When Jack gave him a gentle prod in the back, he realised that he was supposed to go down, into the mob.

"_Here we go."_ He stepped onto the mobile staircase, and immediately the volume of shouts doubled. With an encouraging look from the Doc and Freckles, he headed down the steps, followed by his fellow castaways.

The reporters instantly swarmed. Sawyer couldn't see an exit from the staircase. Reporters were thrusting…microphones, were they… into his face. Cameras were taking his picture and video cameras were rolling, with shouting reporters, each trying to get his attention. There was a shout from near Sawyer. He swerved around and saw Locke shouting,

"Give us some space! We just got off an island!" While the reporters quickly tried to gather their bearings, Sawyer saw a window of opportunity, and legged it towards the terminal. Many other survivors followed; however, soon the reporters were back in action and caught many of them.

"_I thought Sawyer would like the attention. Well, these people never cease to amaze me."_ Kate thought to herself, as she and Jack made an effort to push through the reporters.

"Make way!" Charlie shouted, as he heaved through the reporters trying to clear a path for Claire and Aaron.

"_It's been a while since I had to do this!"_ Charlie concentrated. This had always been difficult. Last time he had had to push through a crowd, it had been Driveshaft's third gig, and he was searching for Liam. The crowd were not easy. However, this time, he had a baby to get safely through. There was one who wouldn't leave him alone, and Charlie had to resist the urge to punch him in the face. Eventually, he made his way through, with Claire and Aaron safe. Now they had to face the terminal.

"Ready to go again?" Charlie asked, bemused. Claire nodded, slightly frightfully, and they began part two of the perilous journey through the airport.

Closely following Charlie and Claire was Hurley, who was finding it a lot easier to get through because of his size. He pushed anyone who got in his way to the side, and continued onward. When he got through, he was very triumphant and jogged to catch up with Charlie, Claire and Aaron.

Shannon and Sayid kept very close behind Hurley, as he had created a clear path through the reporters. Sayid kept a protective arm around Shannon, and looked on the situation as he had done during his days as a soldier.

Sun and Jin followed Shannon and Sayid. Jin had his arm around Sun as if it were a shield, like Sayid had done for Shannon. Whenever anyone came close to them, he shouted at them in Korean, and they backed away. Sun glanced at everyone nervously, and hurried through the mob, making sure to stay close to Jin.

Young Walt was very overwhelmed by everything. Just a day or so ago, (he can't tell) he was playing with Vincent on a deserted island. His dad was building a raft while he 'borrowed' parts of it to use as sticks for Vincent to chase. Occasionally, he would sneak off to see Mr. Locke, and he would teach him how to throw knives and many other skills useful to hunters. Now, however, he was standing in the middle of a mob of reporters, with his dad's arm shielding him from cameras. Vincent's barks couldn't be heard over the noise.

When it was getting too extreme, Michael picked Walt up, grabbed Vincent's lead, and ran, head-first, into the thick of the crowd. He managed to successfully get the three of them through, grinned to himself, and headed into the second maze.

John Locke was amazed by the ruckus that their landing had caused. He took a deep breath and followed Michael, Walt and Vincent. It was harder than it looked, you saw a gap, headed for it, and then it was filled by another reporter or cameraman. Locke made a path for Rose and the neurotic Lance, because he seriously doubted that either of them would be able to get through the mob safely. Both of them were shaking when they were finally approaching the terminal, and Lance was complaining ten to the dozen. Locke was tempted to push him back into the mob to shut him up, but he wouldn't wish that punishment on his worst enemy.

As the survivors exited, the reporters were disappointed that no one had said anything.


	4. Goodbye For Good

**4: GOODBYE FOR GOOD**

Even though Michael wasn't one to gloat, he couldn't help but pat himself on the back a little. He was the reason why everyone was here. He was the reason why he was standing with Walt and Vincent in a building full of people, rather than on a deserted island in the middle of nowhere. He'll admit he that he hadn't built the raft himself, many had helped, however, it had been his idea, he had done most of the work himself. He was exceptionally proud of himself. If he didn't have moral standards against gloating, he would be making sure that everybody thanked him. Even John Locke. As he waltzed through the terminal, keeping his son close, he realised he had a lot to thank the island for. Even John Locke. However, he would never stoop so low as to apologise for his behaviour towards Locke, even less chance was Michael thanking him. It was true that Locke had been most, well, part of the reason that Walt had survived the polar bear incident, and had found Vincent, and had helped bring Michael and Walt together…but Michael would never thank him. Even though Locke did some good things, he did many bad, for instance, the cause of Boone's death. Locke didn't deserve Michael's praise, as he was a bad influence. He carried four hundred knives around with him for goodness sakes!

"_Well, I'll never have to worry about him again!"_ thought Michael happily.

Walt stared around the terminal in confusion.

"Dad, why do so many people look so sad?" Michael looked around him, and indeed, Walt was right. Many people did look very glum, some to the point of tears. Michael opened his mouth, but closed it again, as he realised he did not have an answer to Walt's question. Why were they upset? Did they not want to get off the island? Michael thought back to a poem he had read about a mouse. Some of the lines that had stuck out to him were:

'_The best laid schemes of mice and men, gang aft agley, bring nought but grief and pain for promised joy'._ Was this poem relevant somehow? Yes, Michael thought so. It had been expressed that the biggest ambition of all the survivors was to get off the island. If that happened, then all their troubles would vanish and they would be joyous. The raft had been successful. Yet they were sorrowful. Why was this true? Why were so many people upset? If Michael himself did not understand, then how could he explain it to Walt?

"They're tears of happiness, Walt." Walt frowned at his dad, and replied,

"I'm 10, not 2." Michael chuckled slightly and carried on his path. Walt followed, with Vincent in tow. All Vincent wanted was a dog biscuit, but he didn't know quite how to express his aspirations to these humans. It was also incredibly annoying that he had just been on the most boring journey of his life in some kind of aircraft, then there so much noise he couldn't hear himself bark, and now he was hungry and strangled by a piece of string yanking at his neck.

"_What'll happen if I knock this kid down and run for it? Oh, he looks like a wonderful, tasty, gigantic treat!"_ Vincent drooled and plodded slowly along after his master.

As Michael reached the exit of the airport, he was indignant that many of the other survivors had beaten him. It had been his raft, so why did they get to leave first? Michael was about to stomp out of the airport when he noticed that Locke was talking to his son.

"Hey, dad, I'm just saying goodbye to Mr. Locke." Walt grinned, and John attempted to smile at Michael.

"Yeah, well, make it quick. We have lots to do."

"Ok dad. Goodbye, Mr. Locke." Walt hugged John around his waist. John seemed surprised at first, but then returned the embrace. "Come visit!" Michael accidentally let a little groan escape from his lips.

"Sure I will." John knew Michael would never let him enter the same street. "Well, you three best be off."

"Bye!" Walt called, as he, Michael, and Vincent clambered into a waiting taxi outside the airport. John spied Michael giving Sun a nod of recognition, with she returned with a warm smile. John watched as they drove away, and decided to purchase a well-deserved, over-priced coffee.


	5. Integration

**5: INTEGRATION**

Sun and Jin didn't really know what to make of the situation. They had never properly integrated with the rest of the castaways for the duration of their stay on the island. This was a time to say goodbye, and move on, yet the Kwon couple had never really left off, and didn't really have anyone to say goodbye to. Sun had seen Michael even saying goodbye to Locke, even though she knew that he disapproved of him. Sun sighed, and approached Kate, the only other one who had originally known Sun could speak English, except for Michael, who Sun had already acknowledged. Sun was slightly surprised to see Kate standing with a police officer, who had graciously let her say her goodbyes before being escorted back to the police station. Kate seemed slightly embarrassed when she noticed Sun. Kate extended her hand and said softly,

"Goodbye, then. Good luck with your marriage." Sun smiled and replied, uneasily,

"Thank you. Goodbye." Sun took Kate's hand and shook it, as she had seen many others do. It must have been an American custom, as she had never seen it before between women. Sun was unsure of what to say to someone who was handcuffed, and was on edge. Kate noticed, but didn't mind. To her, Sun had always been on edge because of her husband Jin, and, obviously, the plane crash.

"Thank you…for everything." Sun whispered. Kate smiled knowingly and whispered,

"You're welcome." Sun nodded, and turned to see Jin watching her. He had just said goodbye to Hurley (well, not literally. They shook hands). Sun turned back to Kate and tried to think of something to say.

"You can go." Kate felt like Sun was waiting for permission to leave. Sun almost skipped back to her husband, giving Kate a small wave as she did so.

Sun and Jin passed Rose on their way across the airport. They both turned to each other and smiled when they watched Rose reconcile with her long-lost husband, Bernard. Rose had dreamt of this day, and prayed, and finally her aspirations were fulfilled. She was at peace.

Sun and Jin exited the airport happily, Jin arm casually resting on Sun's shoulder. Sun didn't tell Jin, but she noticed her father looking around the airport for them. Sun didn't care about him anymore. Not after what he did to Jin, and their marriage. They were going to visit Jin's father, a man worthy of their time.

They climbed into the next available taxi, after watching John Locke leave with a half-empty (or half-full, as he remembered Claire saying) plastic cup of coffee.


	6. Feels Like Home

**6: FEELS LIKE HOME**

Shannon was taking deep breaths as she saw a distraught Carlyle mother trotting straight at her. She had a concerned expression on her face, and didn't take her gaze off Shannon as she approached. Shannon began shaking with nerves and Sayid squeezed Shannon's hand.

To Shannon's surprise, or horror, Sabrina Carlyle flung her arms around Shannon's neck and hung there. Neither of them had ever been very 'huggy' people, and hadn't seen each other since Mr. Rutherford had passed away. It was a very awkward embrace, and didn't feel natural on either end, but Sabrina was genuinely concerned.

"Shannon." She breathed, as they parted. Sabrina began to look around and said, "Where's Boone?"

Shannon opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.

"Well?" Sabrina asked impatiently. Shannon stuttered, yet no sound could be heard.

"He's dead." Sayid decided that making Shannon say the words was torture, and she had been through enough trauma to last her a lifetime and a half. Sabrina stared in shock at Shannon and uttered quietly,

"Is this true?" Shannon stayed in silence and Sayid continued,

"Yes. He died after about thirty days on the island in a tragic accident. Everyone tried their best to save him, yet…" Sayid didn't need to finish the sentence. Shannon was now staring at her shoes. Sabrina had tears running down her face, and gave Shannon another embrace. Sabrina then ran out of the airport like a rocket, leaving a little puddle of tears next to the couple.

"There goes my ride home." Shannon joked. Her voice cracked as she spoke the words.

Sayid gave her a natural embrace, and they remained in each others arms for as long as they could manage. Shannon nestled her face into Sayid's shirt. She didn't care that Sabrina had run away. This is where she wanted to be. In Sayid's arms, forever. He felt like home. He was home. Sayid kissed the top of her head. She felt like home. She was home. He couldn't leave her. She loosened his grip on her small figure, and his hands fell to her shoulders. She gazed into his eyes.

"I don't want to go." She mumbled. A single tear dripped from her eye. Sayid brushed it away, and replied,

"Then don't." She looked confused and lopped her head to the side. Sayid tucked her loose hairs behind her ears.

"Move in with me."

"What?"

"Move in with me." He repeated. Shannon's emotions changed in an instant and the largest grin ever to grace her face appeared, and she jumped on top of him. He balanced himself and laughed.

"Yes! YES!" They shared a passionate kiss and broke apart, both grinning from ear to ear. They hurled themselves into the nearest taxi nearly as vigorously as they had thrown their luggage, laughing and smiling all the way.

"Do you notice that Sabrina didn't bother to ask who you are?" Shannon enquired her voice very high.

"I guess I'm a very boring person." Sayid replied calmly.

"No way!" Shannon laughed.


	7. The Bottom Of The Peanut Butter Jar

**7: THE BOTTOM OF THE PEANUT BUTTER JAR**

Peanut butter can be very annoying. It can taste so good, yet it sticks to the roof of your mouth. Charlie and Claire realised this as they headed back towards the exit of the terminal.

"The bottom of the jar." Charlie raised the empty jar for Claire to see, and she nodded. She took the empty peanut butter jar from Charlie's grip and stuffed it into her bag.

"Hey!" He pretended to act annoyed, and got his revenge by tickling her. She laughed and begged him to stop, and both took huge breaths. Aaron giggled from the pram which the airport staff had kindly donated. Charlie bent down and tickled Aaron gently.

As Charlie rose up again, he saw a familiar man straining his neck to see over the top of the crowds. Charlie gasped; he couldn't believe that he had actually come. Charlie grinned, and grabbed Claire's hand.

"Come on! Follow me!" Charlie seized his and Claire's bags, and ran across the airport. Claire hurried with Aaron's pram to keep up. Charlie finally reached the man he had been waiting to see again for years. He dropped the bags and jumped into the man's waiting open arms. They hugged tightly, and both were very emotional. Charlie backed away a little, and motioned in the man's direction.

"Claire, this is my brother Liam. Liam, this is Claire." They shook hands.

"Hi." Claire returned the welcome. Liam bent down to Aaron. "Who's this little guy?"

"Aaron. My son." Claire introduced.

"Claire was pregnant on the island." Charlie carried on.

"Must have been tough." Liam pulled himself upright and gazed at the pair. They nodded.

"Uncle Charlie!" The three adults spun around to see a small blonde girl charging full speed towards them. She threw herself onto Charlie's leg. "Uncle Charlie!" Charlie picked up his young niece, Megan, and embraced her tightly. She remembered who he was. She knew him. He couldn't be happier as tears welled up in his eyes. All of them were here. They all cared. Charlie placed Megan gently back onto the ground. She giggled and scurried over to Aaron and stared at him in delight.

"Charlie." Liam's wife looked at him.

"Karen." She walked over and hugged him as well. He couldn't believe that they all really did care. He loved them, and they loved him. He hadn't visited often at all since the end of Driveshaft. It goes to show that you can touch someone's life and not even realise it.

Claire shifted awkwardly on the spot, and felt out of place, as if she was intruding. She quietly began to move Aaron's pram away from the family, and lifted her bags tenderly off the ground. Sadly, the actions were noticed by little Megan, who squealed,

"Bye bye lady!" Charlie spun round and asked,

"Where are you going?"

"Um… to say goodbye to Hurley." Charlie's face showed that he had forgotten about Hurley.

He searched the airport and spotted Hurley leaving with his mother. Charlie once again seized Claire's hand and chased him.

"HURLEY!" Charlie shouted. Hurley stopped at the sound of his name and turned around to see a very ecstatic Charlie Pace charging at him. He was almost scared, and would have been if it were anyone else running at him. Hurley threw his arms around both Charlie and Claire, and heaved them onto his shoulders. Claire uttered a quick shriek of surprise but relaxed immediately. She enjoyed the gesture, but was still pleased to have her feet back on the ground when he released them.

"Keep in touch!" Hurley almost shouted as the started to leave again with his mother.

"Will do!" Charlie shouted after him.

"I'm in the phone book!" His voice faded as he and his mother bustled into a waiting cab. Charlie and Claire turned to each other and smiled.

"Do you have somewhere to go?" Charlie asked. Claire was about to reply when a very girlish scream erupted nearby.

"CLAIRE!" They spun around to see a tall woman about Claire's age rushing towards them, and squeezing Claire so tightly that she was afraid she'd choke. "It's you, it's you, it's you!" The girl began to hop from side to side in excitement. Claire seemed equally excited. She had forgotten about Laura, which seems like a terrible thing to say. After everything that had happened on the island, it was difficult to remember anything however. "Oh my word! Look at you! You look great! What happened? I missed you so much! You're skinny! Where's the baby? Is that it? Is it a boy or a girl? What's its name? Oh my word it's so cute!" She was talking so fast and in such a high pitched tone that Charlie couldn't translate what she was saying. Claire stopped.

"Could you give me a minute?" Laura nodded and walked to the coffee bar that John Locke had been at just a few minutes ago. Claire turned to Charlie.

"Now I have a ride." Charlie laughed slightly. They gazed at each other in silence. Charlie remembered when he presented Claire with 'peanut butter' shortly after they first met. He remembered how he managed to take care of her when she went into false labour. Of course, Claire couldn't remember this as she obtained amnesia after everything that had happened with Ethan. However, she did remember the walk on the beach, and how he always protected her and put her first. These were the memories she would cherish for the rest of her life. Charlie had been so good with Aaron. They had such a good bond. Just as Charlie and Claire did themselves. It couldn't come to an end could it? As this thought struck Claire, it felt as if a knife were stabbing at her soul and ripping her heart to shreds. Worse than when Thomas, Aaron's father, had left her.

"Claire." Charlie whispered. Without her noticing, silent tears had been streaming down her cheeks, and showed no signs of ceasing. "Claire." He whispered again, before pulling her into a warm embrace. "It's ok." Claire wanted to believe him. She really did. She couldn't. As hard as she tried, her heart still ached, the tears kept falling. Charlie needed to be strong, for Claire. He wanted to do the same as Claire, but his main priority was her, as always. He needed to be strong. He took a deep breath, and released her, but kept hold of one hand. "This isn't goodbye." Claire nodded. She didn't believe him.

"Then why does it hurt?" She whimpered. Charlie didn't reply, but just kissed her wet cheek.

"We will see each other again. I promise." Claire reached up and took another embrace. Charlie had always hated goodbyes. He stifled his tears and straightened his face. They parted, and gazed at each other. They both strained smiles. Charlie bent down to Aaron.

"See you soon, buddy." Aaron just squealed and tugged at Charlie's shirt. Charlie kissed the top of his head too. Charlie pulled himself up and stroked Claire's hair behind her ear. "Remember my promise. Remember me."

"How could I forget?" Claire mumbled.

"Well, you apparently have a knack of getting amnesia." Claire and Charlie laughed.

"Not even amnesia could make me forget you. Not again." They smiled at each other.

Charlie grabbed two napkins from the nearby coffee bar and handed one to Claire. She wiped away her tears with it. Charlie tore the second in half and removed a biro from his luggage. He wrote something down and handed it to Claire as well as the blank half.

"It's my phone number. Your turn." Claire took the pen from Charlie and wrote her number down. "Call me."

"I will. Now you have no excuse not to get in touch with me." Charlie smiled and took the second half of the napkin and stuffed it into his pocket.

Liam nervously approached the pair.

"Ready to go?" He asked uneasily.

"Yeah." Charlie replied. Claire and Charlie shared one last embrace, before going their separate ways without another word. To Charlie, Claire was like peanut butter. Even though they were parting, Claire would remain with him for a long time to come.


	8. What Is 'Home?

**8: WHAT IS 'HOME'?**

What is 'home'? Many say 'home' is the house they live in. 'Home' is just a word, or so Jack believed. His mother had always insisted that 'home' was the people, not the place. Jack didn't see what was so special about 'home'. Sure, it was a place where everyone felt 'safe'. But how safe? Jack had read about children, partners, getting abused at 'home'. Robberies, kidnappings, abuse…the list goes on forever in Jack's mind. Jack had felt more comfortable on the island than he ever had at 'home'. Well, maybe that was a stretch. Jack sat near the exit of the airport with his cup of coffee, as many of the fellow castaways said goodbye to him as they left. It was easier than standing and doing a lot of formal goodbyes, he felt. It gave him a chance to think, and reflect. When the door opened near him, he got a blast of cold air on his body that was blessing. It felt like his head was becoming clearer and clearer with each blast. He was finally relaxing.

Jack's attention was turned elsewhere when an indignant Sawyer was being dragged away by the police.

"I didn't do anything!" He yelled.

"Yeah, and I'm the Queen of Sheba." A burly police officer grumbled. If anything, this angered Sawyer even more and he kicked up even more of a fuss. He finally realised he wasn't going to win and let them hand-cuff him. Sawyer turned to Jack and grinned.

"Well, Doc, they finally got me." Jack smiled.

"About time too." Jack replied playfully. He stood up and approached the blond. He shook one of his cuffed hands.

"See ya round."

"I'm sure you will." Jack smiled. Sawyer wasn't so bad. If he wasn't so annoying and arrogant, then he would be a pretty decent guy.

Sawyer was pulled away by the police to where Kate was standing solemnly. Sawyer pretended to act shocked.

"Freckles! What are you doing here?" Kate didn't even flinch.

"Leave it, Sawyer." Kate voice didn't crack, her expression didn't change. She stood stock still, her body tense.

"Looks like it's you and me in the car tonight."

"Shut up, Sawyer." He raised his eyebrows and didn't say another word. The police began to escort him outside the airport.

Jack approached Kate cautiously. She had now been hand-cuffed. He surveyed her face.

"Are you ok?" She lifted her head to meet his eyes. Jack almost jumped back when he looked into them. Her eyes were as deep as whirlpools. The rims were lined with droplets, ready to explode any second. In her eyes, Jack could see everything that had happened on the island. From the plane crash to the rescue plane arriving. Her eyes were filled with more sorrow and fear than he had seen in his life, and he was a spinal surgeon.

Neither of them said a word. There was movement in her eyes. Kate suddenly threw her hand cuffs around his neck and hugged him tightly. Jack returned the hug, and a cloud of sadness fell over him. As well as the sadness cloud, the realisation cloud followed. As Jack received his last, warm embrace from Kate, he realised that what his mother had always said was right. 'Home' is not a place, or just a word, it is the people.


End file.
